September 20, 2012

Kansas State Research and Extension September 2012 updates

Agronomist, Jim Shroyer uses his personal experiences and storytelling skills in the children’s book "The Adventures of Holly Holstein: Holly Greets the World." Shroyer is known for using field days, interactive websites, and other creative methods to educate adults and children about crops.

Jack Fry, professor of turfgrass science, has been named a Crop Science Society of America Fellow for 2012. He will be recognized in October during the group’s annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Entomologist, Raymond Cloyd, earned the 2012 Outstanding Extension Educator Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science for contributions to the profession and science, the industry, and home and urban horticulture through innovative extension programs.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas Restaurant Association and K-State Research and Extension were recognized for educating consumers and industry on food safety. Karen Blakeslee, extension associate and coordinator of the Rapid Response Center, represented Kansas State University when Gov. Sam Brownback signed a proclamation designating September as Kansas Food Safety Education Month.

A multidisciplinary group from Kansas, Ohio, and South Dakota received a $2.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture for an integrated research and extension project to prevent overweight and obesity among pre-adolescents and young teens. The project includes youth in sixth through eighth grades in planning and implementing interventions. Human nutrition specialist Tanda Kidd is a principal investigator.

A new 350-page book, "Stored Product Protection," published by K-State Research and Extension, provides information useful for producers, shippers and facility managers to protect raw and processed food, fiber and other products from insects, molds and vertebrate pests. Entomology professor Thomas Phillips is an author and lead editor, along with David Hagstrom and Gerrit Cuperus.

Nursery crops specialist Cheryl Boyer and pecan specialist Bill Reid received Outstanding Extension Publication awards from the American Society for Horticultural Science, Extension Division. Boyer won for her work on www.SustainableSubstrates.com and Reid’s award is for northernpecans.blogspot.com.

Rodney Redinger, fire training specialist for the Kansas Forest Service, was commander for the enclosure fire near Ketchum, Idaho, directing air tankers, helicopters, smoke jumpers, an initial attack hand crew, hotshot crews and engine crews. Redinger is an Incident Commander type 3, a first for Kansas.

K-State Research and Extension is working with Kansas agencies to provide education about efforts to protect the lesser prairie chicken. The site www.ksre.ksu.edu/lpc will serve as an information clearinghouse.